Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - Book II - VI. Fra Felice’s Testament
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
Below is the raw OCR text
from the above scanned image.
Do you see an error? Proofread the page now!
Här nedan syns maskintolkade texten från faksimilbilden ovan.
Ser du något fel? Korrekturläs sidan nu!
This page has never been proofread. / Denna sida har aldrig korrekturlästs.
fra felice’s testament 25 i
now for another. Why, I have only to hold out one
day, and to-morrow it will be forgotten."
" To-morrow! " said Donna Elisa. " We shall never
forget it."
The syndic smiled, and Donna Elisa saw that he
believed he knew the people of Diamante much better
than she.
" You believe that this is matter of special concern
to them?"
" I do indeed, Signor Syndic. The syndic laughed.
" Give me the envelope, signora."
He took it and went out on the balcony.
He began to speak to the women. " I wish to tell
you," he said, " that I have just now learned, that old
Fra Felice is dead, and that he has left you all a
testament. He has written down five numbers, which, it
is said,will win at the lottery next Saturday, and these
he gives to you. No one has yet seen them. They
lie here in this envelope, and that is still unopened."
He was silent a moment, in order that the women
might have time to think over what he had said.
" Instantaneously they commenced to cry : " The
numbers, the numbers!" The syndic motioned to
them to be quiet.
" Reflect," he said, " that Fra Felice could not
possibly know what numbers will come out next
Saturday. If you make use of these numbers, you
may lose. And we can ill afford to become poorer
than we already are here in Diamante. Therefore I
beg of you, let me destroy the testament, without
any one having seen it."
" The numbers," cried the women, " out with the
numbers."
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
